Folding is Optional
You read that right. If you choose not to fold something, you are still organized and can still be a minimalist. The goal of organization is to live your best life. It is not to follow some new strategy or trend. If folding makes your life better, go for it, but…
…if folding gives you a headache or slows you down, then don’t do it. Think of folding like a hammer, sometimes it is the tool you need for your home improvement project, and sometimes it is not. Just be thoughtful and intentional about where and when you use what tool.
Before I go to far into this post, I want to make something very, very clear. The point of this post is give you tools that might work in some situations. My goal is to empower you to decide what is best for you and your home and life.
There are two places where I don’t fold because it just don’t make functional sense for me or my life. If I had more time, I’d probably fold these item. But I am honest about what I can and cannot do, so I don’t fold.
First, I don’t fold my toddler’s clothes that he wears on a daily basis. This began because of time. I just didn’t have time to fold them, and I realized, he made a mess with them most of the time anyway. On more that one occasion he pulled all of his clothes out of the drawer. While he’s over that now, I still find it very time consuming to fold all of those little clothes, so I don’t. They are so small, and I don’t keep very many of them, so I can pretty well see all of them at once too. In this case, folding them is more about vanity than about function.
Second, I don’t fold my underwear because, like my son’s little clothes, I can see them all when I go to get them. Rather than fold them and make them look pretty, I chose to minimize them to the point that I can just see them all without folding them.
One area where I find folding invaluable is blankets — both for summer storage and in the winter when they get the most use. They are large and unruly if I don’t fold them well. This is especially true in the fall and winter after I have unpacked all my blankets for the season. It is not uncommon for there to be two or even three big blankets out covering my couch. It can make the space harder to use and enjoy.
Also, I am very particular about how I fold my blankets. I fold them so they tuck into themselves and, essentially, form a cute little pillow that doesn’t come unfolded when moved around. I call this pocket folding. Here is a quick video tutorial on how I do my folding.
As you can see from my video, I am by no means perfect when folding. But the outcome is very useful. I am able to keep all of my blankets stored in my living room in a manageable fashion. If you are interesting in learning even more folds, check out M.O.M.s Pinterest board with a bunch of different useful folds.
Now, the point of this post is not to suggest that you should or shouldn’t fold your kids’ clothes, underwear, or your blankets. The point of this is to help you be intentional about organizing your home. Just because a certain organizing guru puts out a strategy, like folding, doesn’t mean you need to do it to be organized. You get to define what it is that you need to make your home run the way you want it to run. Take a look at some of these folding hacks…see what works for you. If those are the tools you need, then use them, but if you don’t need them, then by all means, let them go.
As I stated from the beginning, you can be organized and even a minimalist without any of these fancy folds. :)
